ソラノイロ ー NIPPON

Last weekend a friend invited me to a new restaurant that opened in June of 2015 on Ramen Street in the Yaesu basement near Tokyo Station. Ramen Street has a selection of famous ramen shops from around Japan, so I was excited to check out a restaurant that had a few vegan options. Soranoiro has 3 locations around Tokyo station, and the location inside Ramen Street is the newest shop. The first location, Saranoiro – Japanese soup noodle free style, opened in 2011 and because very popular.

Although the restaurant isn’t totally vegan, they advertise their vegan offerings in many places throughout the restaurant. They had two vegan versions of their Veggie Ramen and even a vegan soft serve ice cream, which I didn’t get to try this time when I ate here. I’m excited to try it next time I’m at the restaurant.

You might have to wait in line at this location, if you go during busy times. You use the ticket vending machine to purchase your ramen and give the ticket to the staff. The inside of the restaurant doesn’t feel like a typical ramen restaurant and seems more like you’re eating inside a restaurant in a trendy area of NYC or LA. I hear the other locations have more of a ramen restaurant feel.

The ramen doesn’t look like a typical ramen either! The bright colors of the vegetables make the ramen look really tasty. The food was good, and I would definitely come back to have it again. You can swap the normal noodles for whole wheat, but I don’t think I’d do this again. The wheat noodles were really just whole wheat pasta, not ramen. It’s a good option for some people though.

I still like T’s Tan Tan in Tokyo Station better, but this is definitely a great option for people who want to try something different. They also have vegan soft serve ice cream, so just that alone is a great reason to come here!